Long Enough
by Clumsy Little Bunny
Summary: 48 hours. Not long, but Long Enough. Long Enough to break his heart. Long Enough to rip her to pieces. No one ever found out who they were. Lily was returned exactly 48 hours after being taken, but in a way, she never came back. Not long, but Long Enough.
1. Foreboding

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot! And a random Healer in a later chapter! The picture belongs to Oana Hogrefe Photography!**

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**Foreboding**

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Day 1:

Lily often disappeared for hours at a time. She might hide, she might fall asleep; sometimes, both.

No one noticed at first, but when they did, they weren't that worried; it happened all the time after all!

She didn't come to dinner. She didn't get a bath. No one saw her go to bed.

Ginny wasn't worried. Lily Luna did this all the time! She usually came to her bed long after everyone else was asleep. She hated baths. If she was hungry, she would get herself some food without telling anybody; and fall asleep on the table.

This was not out of the ordinary.

Harry was unnerved. He always reassured Ginny. But tonight, their roles were reversed.

Harry fell asleep with an unnatural feeling of foreboding.

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**A.N. How do you like it so far? There will be only 6 more chapters, after all, 7 is the most powerful magical number. I will update on Saturday!**

**Read&Review Please!**

_**~Nova Dies**_


	2. Memories

**Memories**

* * *

*SMASH*

"LILY!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry...!"

"You just broke Aunt Fleur's vase! Why were you on the table?!"

"...Sorry! Sorry! Sorry...!"

"You KNOW you're NEVER allowed to climb on the tables! Why were you then!"

"But you can fix it! Before she sees!"

"It's not broken vase that's the problem! It's you! You NEVER listen!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

"No. You go outside right now and apologise to your Aunt!"

"Ssshhh! Daddy! Listen: if you don't tell Mummy, I won't tell Mummy that you took a cookie!"

"Lily!..."

"I'll tell everybody! Even Grandmum Weasley!"

"Well, alright, it's a deal. But you still have to apologise to Aunt Fleur!"

"Dat's right! I'll 'polagise to everybody! But not Mummy or Grandmum Weasley. I don't want to be dead."

"It's a deal, Lily Pad!"

"OK! Now you use your wand, and I'll go play! I'll tell Aunty Fleur later!"

o~O~o

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Lily Pad?"

"What's on your head?"

"They're glasses! You know that!"

"Not the gwaffes! The wed thing!"

"What 'red thing?"

"The cwack! The cwack on your head!"

"Oh! That's a scar."

"Wooks wike a cwack to me. When did you geddit?"

"I got it when I was a little baby, littler than you!"

"How did you geddit? Did your Mommy dwop you on your head?"

"No! Of course not! Don't be silly!"

"Well, I'm gonna fix it!"

"How?"

"Wif tape, silly! Tape can fix everyfing!"

"I love you, Monkey Biddles!"

"Hold still, Daddy! Some hair got stuck..."

o~O~o

"Lily!"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"What did I tell you about my desk?"

"You said that, that, um, that everyone can look at it?"

"No! I specifically told you! Don't go through Daddy's Desk!"

"Dat's right: spesifly don't go through..."

"Why are you going through it then?!"

"... I sordot"

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**A.N. How was it? Next chapter is when stuff starts happening... sorta. (This was a filler chapter.) If I get one review, I'll post it ASAP! :D How's THAT for bribery?**

**R&R Please!**

_**~Nova Dies**_


	3. Scared

**Scared**

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Harry woke up to the sound of rain tapping on the window, and a feeling of dread. It took him a moment to remember why: Lily.

Why? Why was he so worried? He could understand Ginny and Hermione being worried: they worried about everything, it was their job as mothers. He could understand Mrs. Weasley being worried: she was Mrs. Weasley, after all! He could understand Ron being worried: Ron became worried if Hermione came home 5 minutes late.

But why was he worried?

Harry crept downstairs, peeking into the childrens' rooms as he went.

There was James, sprawled horizontally across his bed: Covers a mess, glasses still on, mouth agape, snores erupting.

All was well.

There was Albus, a neat little lump under the blanket: Head on the pillow, glasses on the bedstand, clothes laid out, small, quiet sighs at a regurlar pace.

All was well.

Where was Lily? A hand hanging off the bed?: Hair, a halo of flame? Mouth open only just? Book on her lap? Murmuring in her dreams?

Not all was well.

Her bed had the cold, unslept look in it. All her fairytales were on the shelf. Her clothes from yesterday weren't in the hamper. She wasn't outside: her raincoat and rainboots were right here. But this was normal.

Why was he so scared?

o~O~o

She would be downstairs in the kitchen. She usually was. Head on the table, face planted in a bowl or on a plate, a cup of milk nearby, a half-eaten apple in her hand. This was normal.

Why was he so scared?

o~O~o

She wasn't at the table.

No food was missing. No milk was gone. There were no extra dirty plates. No piece fruit was unaccounted for. Everything was exactly as he left it.

Where was she?

She would be on the couch. She slept there when she was scared. There might have been lightning earlier. She would be a little ball in Harry's favorite armchair, cuddling with Arnold, Ginny's pygmy puff. This was normal.

Why was he so scared?

o~O~o

Arnold was alone in the chair. No Lily. Harry remembered: Lily loved rain. She didn't mind lighting. Why would she hide from it? She would probably go play in it. she loved getting wet, but hated baths.

That's where she was! Outside, of course! She would always go outside if it was raining. In the day and in the night. In sickness and in health. This was normal.

Why was he so scared?

o~O~o

She wasn't outside. Harry checked everywhere: in the bushes, by the pond, even in the trees. Lily's whereabouts remained a mystery. She probably went for a walk. She went on walks by herself all the time. Harry might have waited, but something urged him to look.

He covered all of her routes three times, and he still hadn't found her! She hadn't come home yet. Ginny was up and searching as well. She had looked in the same places as Harry had, and was about to go on a walk when Harry came home.

Where was she?

Maybe she was hiding? She had the best hiding spots. She also hid when she was angry or upset. Last year, when James went to Hogwarts, she threw a tantrum and hid in the attic for three days because she couldn't go.

That was it! She was just hiding! This was normal.

Why were they so scared?

o~O~o

They combed the house. They looked in every nook and cranny. Harry and Ginny checked, and double-checked the attic. When the boys woke up, they looked too.

Where was she!

o~O~o

The last anyone had seen of Lily was she going outside to play yesterday morning. They didn't know if she even came back in.

Something was wrong.

They called her name as they searched the house a third time. None of the neighbors had seen her. Relatives were notified. Harry and Ginny were panicking.

They notified the Muggle Police. They notified the Daily Prophet. They looked again.

Lily would never frighten them like this purposely!

Harry was scared.

Something was definately wrong.

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**A.N. YAY! Thanks for the review! :D Hope you liked it!**

**R&R**

_**~Nova Dies**_

**P.S. I decided to change the rating.**


	4. Waiting

**Waiting**

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Lily was gone. Lily had disappeared. She was lost.

Lily Luna vanished at exactly 10:00 a.m., July 28. It was 4:00 p.m. of July 29. She had been gone for 30 hours.

No one knew where she was. No one knew what had happened. Everyone was distraught. Harry and Ginny were heartbroken.

The Muggle Newspaper and the Daily Prophet had reported her missing. Harry had every spare auror he could find looking for her.

Albus was talking nonstop about the most random things, James worked at his homework feverishly: both were signs that they were scared.

No one could find her. She had completely and utterly vanished.

o~O~o

10:30 p.m. July 29 36 1/2 hours

Harry lay awake that night. He couldn't sleep. His Lily Pad was gone. The house had an unnatural silence to it which said that everyone was awake.

She really was gone. She wouldn't have stayed hidden and listened to her family call and cry for her. None of his kids would. There was only one explanation:

Lily was truly gone. Harry would probably never see her again.

o~O~o

3:00 a.m. July 30 41 hours

Ginny had finally found sleep, but Harry waited.

He waited. He waited for a whisper, a footstep to tell him she was still here.

He waited. He waited for a voice, a sign to tell him she was safe.

He waited. He waited for something to happen that would prove that this was not real, that this was a dream.

He waited. He waited for Lily to come home.

He waited. He waited for something, he just didn't know what.

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**A.N. YEHEHESSSS! I'M BACK! WOOOOOHOOOOO! FINALLY! FREEDOM! SUMMER! FANFICTION! Oh, MAN! Am I happy to be back! School is finally over! I am so sorry for the delay. I got out on the seventh, and this is my first chance to update. (:**

**I'm so happy right now.**

**R&R Please!**

_**~Nova Dies**_


	5. Lost and Found

**Lost and Found**

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Harry paced restlessly. It was 7:00 p.m. of July 30. The Potters and the Weasleys' sat in the Waiting Room of Saint Mungo's.

Lily was found.

Lily was safe.

Lily was home.

She was found on a street corner in London at exactly 10:00 a.m.

She was in St. Mungo's by 10:15

The entire family had arrived at the Hospital by 10:20

No one was allowed in.

No one knew why.

They had waited 8 1/2 hours for apparently nothing.

No Healer had come.

No Lily had come.

No message at all.

Why?

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**A.N. I'll update as soon as I can. CLIFFHANGER!**


	6. Lily

**Lily**

Harry and Ginny followed the healer nervously.

It was 6:00 a.m. of August 1. They could see Lily

Everyone else was gone.

Everyone esle went home.

But they didn't.

They needed to see her.

They needed to see Lily with their own eyes.

They needed to hold her.

They needed to kiss her.

They needed to hug her.

Seeing is believing.

And Harry needed to believe that his Lily Pad was safe, that his Monkey Biddles was home.

Harry gazed down at his daughter.

She was sleeping.

Her face was paler than he had ever seen it before.

But she was here.

She was home.

"We had to give her a Sleeping Draught," said the Healer.

"Why?" said Ginny. "What was wrong?"

"She wouldn't stop fighting," said the Healer in a hushed voice. "Or screaming. We're sorry it took so long. It took us hours to locate all the injuries."

"Injuries!?" choked Ginny.

The Healer nodded and handed Ginny a list.

She looked at it for a moment before giving a low moan and crumpling it in her hand.

"Why a Sleeping Draught?" Harry managed to get out. "Why not a Calming Draught or something?"

"They wouldn't work. Evidence suggests that there is an enchantment preventing it We don't know what it is yet. She'll wake up in an hour." She said before leaving the room.

Harry and Ginny sat in chairs on either side of her bed.

Harry felt sick.

When she woke up, would she still be Lily?

**A.N. Yeah, pretty cheesy last line. YAY! I have 9 Reviews! I'm so happy now! What do you think? Any thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Critique? Sorry it took so long. And yeah, actually we never really find out what really happened to Lily. Sorry.**

**R&R Please!**

_~Nova Dies_


	7. Never Again

**Never Again**

Lily sobbed in Ginny's arms. She had only just recognized them.

It was 6:20 a.m.

Lily was here, but she was gone.

If that made any sense.

The family came in and they all cried and laughed together.

But Lily never let go of Ginny, she never opened her eyes.

She never spoke a word.

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She was frightened by any loud noise.

She crawled into bed with Ginny.

She found new, better hiding places.

She hid when anyone came over.

She never went outside.

She would sit for hours with Arnold.

She would cry herself to sleep.

She never spoke a word.

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Lily did go Hogwarts.

She was sorted into Ravenclaw.

She always performed nonverbal spells.

She averaged 'O' in everything.

She only talked with her closest friend or her mother, even then, it was a surprise.

By seventh year she would talk almost normally.

10 years to repair half of the damage done.

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She grew into a beautiful young woman.

She married Neville's son, Anthony.

She had two daughters and three sons: Ginerva, Luna, Neville, Harry, and Aidan.

She became the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

When Ginny died, everyone was sad, naturally.

But Lily was distraught.

She never spoke a word again.

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**A.N. Yes, I know! I skipped over the entire 'wake-up' scene! But seriously, I had no idea what to write. Even this was hard! Ain't it a depressing story? I recently made a OneShot called Forever and Ever. Go to my profile and check it out! Please!** **So, yeah! Bye! Please review! Or flame! It doesn't really matter. (Wow guys! I have over a thousand views!) I'm actually really sad that it's over, I would prolong it, but I don't know what else to write! Whoa! I just realized this: I ended my story on the most powerful magical number!**

**Peace Out!**

_~Nova Dies_


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